


The Ode of the Gladiatori

by haides



Category: Free!
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece & Rome, Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Arena, Colisseum, Friendship, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Love, M/M, Mythology - Freeform, Prostitution, brothel, light blood, light gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-07-10 19:11:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7001095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haides/pseuds/haides
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 136 B.C. when Ancient Rome had conquered the whole Mediterranean, two young men find themselves caught in the claws of the great Empire. As their hope is fading, Sousuke Yamazaki and Makoto Tachibana find themselves captive and deprived of their old way of life, their people, and even their own liberty. As they find solace in each others friendship, they know that their only chance to survive is the path which is presented to them, the path of the warrior. In between battles and a strong secret which threatens their friendship, these two men will find a breath of life in the two most unexpected strangers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Festina Lente

**Author's Note:**

> _Hello, I just wanted to give you some information and clarifications before you start reading the story (don't worry, no spoilers). First of all, thank you so much for clicking on the story, I feel honored. Second, I was knowledgable of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece, but I decided to do a bit more research before I started writing this fanfic. Although I confess, that I did not do a very profound research as I would have done for a school paper, but I believe the information I got will suffice. Also, please don't take all of the information in this fanfic too seriously, as I said I did some research but I did bend history a little here and there so that it would fit the story. So please, take it all with a grain of salt when there are historical facts mentioned. There is also the question of the names of the characters, which are Japanese. These names will be kept as they are (ex. Sousuke Yamazaki) because I feel like giving them Greek or Roman names would just make the story about other characters instead of them. As of right now I know that it may sound like this story is more of a history lesson rather than a fanfic, but I promise it is not; these are just some facts I wanted to mention beforehand because they are important to the story. Lastly, this is the first fanfic I write so please take care of me!_

_“A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.”  
-Hercules_

  


The moon proudly decorated the Roman sky, illuminating his way through the training ground. Tonight Artemis seemed to smile upon him and conspire in his favor, for it had been a while since the full moon had been his guide. As his footsteps echoed through the desolated training ground, he reached his final destination for the day while muttering a prayer of thanks to the Goddess.  
  
Carefully he pushed the door of his chamber open, and walked in as quietly as he could. His warm emerald coloured eyes gazed upon the figure which laid peacefully sleeping; the other’s back was a constant greeting welcoming him home. He could not help but stare for a few more seconds and feel breathless as he took off his sandals and placed them next to the door. In a rapid manner he took off his toga and placed it at the foot of the bed, leaving him in only a loincloth with the rest of his well toned body exposed to the light of the moon.  
  
Artemis and the rest of the Gods were witness of the routine that went on every night in that tiny cell in which he slept. Witnesses of the way he slipped into the hard bed and wrapped his arms around the other man which laid next to him. He took a deep breath and pressed his lips against the nape of the neck of his companion. Such small gesture, wrapping his arms around the other, and sleeping next to him was all he dared to do.  
  
**“Goodnight” **  
****   
In a small whisper he bid the other, an action which he knew would not wake up the other because he was a heavy sleeper. Even if three days a week he came home a few hours before sunrise, the other never seemed to notice.  
  
Morpheus took no pity on the man that laid wide awake, longingly starting at the other. Even if he was holding him, it felt like he was far away, in a place he would never be able to reach no matter how hard he stretched his hand or if he ran as fast as Hermes. At that second, the only thing he wished for was for Morpehus to come and grace him with his presence so he could fall into a deep slumber that would numb his pain away. However, when he closed his eyes far from being pulled into a dream, what greeted him were images of the past.  
  
~  
  
_Golden grass caressed his feet and lower thighs as he walked in a vast field which seemed to converge with the sky itself which was painted with specks of orange and gold. His footsteps were strong and firm, as he walked forward the wind danced with his crimson colored cape; a color which would soon adorn all of his body. A vast number of capes that resembled his soon came into view, and a sadistic grin formed on his full lips, he knew it was time for battle._  
  
_**“We have been waiting for you!”**_ A boy whose hair matched the sky yelled as he ran faster than Hermes towards him.  
  
_**“Let’s get started, everyone get into positions!”**_ With a deep voice and his brows furrowed he commanded his comrades as he walked in front of them.  
  
_Quickly he drew his sword, which still had fresh blood from the previous battle; the others followed and it began. The enemy did not stall and rapidly one after the other they came to attack him, luckily Athena seemed to have set her sight on him ever since young, for he was an excellent warrior. With extreme agility he blocked the attack of his enemy with his sword, and he pushed him with extreme force that made his opponent stumble, it was then when he saw his chance and he ended the life of the other. Three of his enemies had the same fate, but what he rapidly noticed was that Hades was calling not only those he fought against, but his comrades as well; one by one they started to perish. In between fights he searched for his best friend, the boy with orange hair who he would not let Hades take from him. What he did not know was that Hades had started his move, and when he turned he saw one of the enemies about to stab his friend on the back with a sword._  
  
_**“NO!! WATCH OUT MO-“**_

~  


**“Sousuke! Sousuke wake up!”** He felt a pair of strong but timid hands shake his shoulders gently.  
  
Immediately, Sousuke opened his eyes to see a pair of bewitching olive coloured eyes staring at him worry. Unconsciously, he reached his right hand out to touch the young man’s cheek but as soon as he realized what he was doing, he let his hand fall to his side.  
  
**“What’s wrong Makoto? Is something wrong?”** While Sousuke questioned Makoto, the latter wiped Sousuke’s forehead with a small piece of white cloth.  
  
**“That’s the same thing I’d like to ask you. Were you having a nightmare? You broke out in a cold sweat and suddenly started screaming…”**  
  
**“Sorry to have scared you, Makoto,”** after Makoto had finished wiping his sweat Sousuke got up from the bed. **“It is as you say…it was nothing but a nightmare, guess I am not well liked by Morpheus,”** he let out a fake chuckle in order to calm Makoto down.  
  
**“Sousuke…”** Makoto stood behind the other while looking at him with sad eyes.  
  
By the way Makoto called his name, he knew that his lie had not been successful. Sousuke did not have the courage to turn around and look at Makoto, instead he kept on pretending as if what had happened was nothing.  
  
**“Come on Makoto, it’s time to start the day.”**  
  
**“But Sou-“** At that moment Makoto’s gentle voice got interrupted by a much harsher and rough voice.  
  
**“Gladiators! Rise up! It’s time to get ready for training!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _In case you were wondering, the chapter's title is in Latin, here is the meaning: Festina lente = Make haste slowly. This is probably a trend that I will follow with all chapters, since I find that it is not only neat but it gives the story a bit more of legitimacy (at least in my world it does). Now I know that in this chapter I did not give a lot of information on their backstory, but I thought it would be cool if it unfolded at a calm pace (but not slow) rather than just giving it all away in the first chapter. Hopefully you liked the story up until now! Even if you didn't, thank you for giving it a chance!_


	2. Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  _Here's another chapter! Honestly, I'm so thankful because you guys seem to have liked my first fanfic, which was something I was not expecting. Also, I wanted to point out something I had forgotten before, I try to write very eloquently but sometimes I fail to do so because English is not my native language, so please forgive any mistakes you find! Lastly, I hope you don't find the image I started putting to be too corny haha. It is a small collage I pulled off rapidly, that's why it's nothing fancy._   
> 

_“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”  
-Marcus Tullius Cicero_

Beads of sweat covered Makoto’s body making it glisten against the sun, it was as if Apollo decided to leave a trail of kisses all over him, and left marks that made Makoto shine brightly. Training had been merciless as usual, for they needed to be well prepared when it was time to step into the arena. This was a fact that always lingered in his mind and in the mind of all the others in the training ground. It was forever present, for they knew that at any moment Hades could come and take them to the underworld with him.

Makoto could feel the sweat dripping from his forehead, so he closed his eyes and swiftly wiped it away with his forearm. When he opened his eyes he looked at Sousuke who was sitting in the shade; he had caught the emerald eyed man staring at him. Immediately, Makoto gave him a gentle and warm smile, the type of smile who he could only show to Sousuke and no one else. At that moment he decided he needed a rest, so he went and sat on the ground next to the bigger man.

 **“It’s crazy huh?”** Makoto gently nudged Sousuke’s arm with his elbow.

Sousuke turned to look at Makoto with an arched eyebrow, **“What is?”**

 **“That you and I are sitting here next to each other, an Athenian”** with his index finger he pointed at himself and then at Sousuke, **“and a Spartan”.**

 **“I suppose you’re right about that, after all we are supposed to be natural enemies,”** Sousuke nodded as he turned to study the pair of men who stood with swords at hand on the training ground; their goal was to disarm their opponent.

 **“I’m glad that we are friends, although it did not seem that it would be that way at the beginning. Do you still remember?”** Makoto eyed Sousuke’s face for a moment before looking with curiosity at the men who the latter had been studying with much concentration.

~

_A ghostly silence reigned over the whole training ground, there was a stillness which waited to be broken with just one movement. That morning not even the birds decided to grace with their harmonious melodies that forsaken place, which was only given an instant of color with their songs. They stood still, as if mirroring the image of the thirty men whose gazes focused on the two figures which stood in the training arena. One of those men, the man whose hair was as dark as the underworld, stood tall and proud. His posture was perfect as he gripped his sword in position with a strong sense of security, there was no doubt that he was ready to battle. He was sure a spectacle to see, many of the men who trained with him speculated that Hades had blessed him with some of his power, for seeing him fight was as if the God had come directly from the underworld to take his victim with him._

_Much to the dismay of his opponent and of the men watching them, the other man standing in the training arena was the antithesis of his counterpart. This man who the other gladiators had never seen before, was looking down at the dirt under his feet, as if hoping he could become one with it. His chestnut locks hid his face from the view of all prying eyes, and his hand weakly held on to the sword which safely rested on his side. There was no doubt that this hopeless man did not want to take any part in this show, but he did not have a choice._  
  
**_“Athenian! Come on, I’m waiting for you!”_** Sousuke’s eyebrows were knitted together while his eyes glared with animosity at the man who stood as still as a statue a few feet before him.

_**“I’ll tell you what newcomer, I’ll be generous with you and I’ll let you give the first blow,”** far from generous, Sousuke’s voice was filled with venom. Hearing him speak like that made the hair behind the necks of all the men stand up, but his opponent gave no response._

_Everyone knew that the indifference which the other man demonstrated before his opponent had been a grave mistake, especially so because his opponent was Sousuke. This was the man who within a few weeks of entering the gladiator school, had quickly established his place as the leader of all the men. Another grand merit that was awarded to Sousuke was that in less than a month he had mastered all the techniques presented to him, thus making him the brightest and strongest in the whole school. Many rumoured that he was on the way to becoming the most illustrious and famous out of all the gladiators in Rome, but that was just a rumor that dwelled within the walls of the school. Thus, it was precisely because it was Sousuke, the gladiator known as Hades, why they had no doubt that even if it was against the rules of the school, he could do the job of the God he was named after, and take his opponent to meet Cerberus._

_To the idleness of the other, Sousuke reacted with the macabre grin that he gave before battle. The sand crunching under his feet broke the somber silence which had renewed itself before. The proud man walked with no haste and stopped until he was in front of the other, but contrary to the expectation of the men observing the spectacle, he did not strike his opponent with his sword. To the astonishment of the group, the gladiator filled his free hand with the other’s chestnut locks and pulled his head back with strong but controlled force._

_**“Do you still not want to fight?”** Sousuke looked directly into the other man’s eyes, which he discovered for the first time that they were olive coloured. However, those pair of eyes only looked into his for a few mere seconds before turning to look at something else._

_Sousuke’s tight hold softened until he let go, however he did not feel anymore merciful. A surge of great anger took over him, his hold on his sword became stronger making his knuckles turn white. Immediately he turned his free hand into a fist and he hit the other on the right side of the face with a great deal of force, making his opponent stumble and leaving him with a crimson mark which later would turn into amaranthine. It was not enough for Sousuke, with all the strength he could muster, he kicked the other right on the chest with his left foot. The legs of his opponent turned into jelly, making his back hit the hard ground while making a loud thud. Sousuke bent over and lifted his sword up so high that the rays of the sun gleamed on it._

_**“What is your name, Athenian?!”** With the man’s hair out of the way, his full face was exposed and Sousuke could see that the other felt no fear of death._

_**“Makoto,”** his opponent said in almost a whisper but with no hint of fear._

_At that moment, Sousuke swung down his glimmering companion with his arm to do what the rest thought was the God Hades' work. Nonetheless, the sword stopped when it had caressed a few centimeters of Makoto’s skin, leaving back a small wound from which it flowed crimson blood. Sousuke inched closer, looking down and straight into his eyes, an act which the others could not see because his dark locks covered his own eyes from their view._

_**“You need to wake up,”** his tone was firm but his voice was small in an attempt to keep his words in secrecy, only between Makoto and him. **“You have friends and family right? You need to keep going for them, it would be idiotic if you threw your life away here. So many of us are trying to survive to see the light of Apollo in the morning and to be kissed by Artemis at night. Even if you think it’s pointless, you ought to do it in respect for the others who are watching us, and even for your opponents themselves. Throwing your life in a training arena is an act of disrespect towards everyone…especially to those who are no longer here with us.”**_

_With that last sentence Sousuke invoked the memories of that last battle he had in Sparta, and the last time he could see his best friend in the battlefield. Makoto looked deep into his eyes, no words had more effect on him than the last ones that escaped Sousuke’s lips; only because his tone had changed from stern to almost pleading. Feeling Makoto’s full attention on him and having evoked the memories of the past, made Sosusuke feel uncomfortable. Without any other word he got up and dismissed his sword by throwing it to the floor. The other men made way for him while he walked back to the sleeping quarters, they carefully examined his every move until he was out of view. Meanwhile Makoto lay there looking up into the sky, thinking deeply about the words that the man with a poisonous tongue but warm eyes had uttered._

~

 **“They somehow remind me of us, don’t you think?”** Makoto’s smile decorated his handsome face, which made Sousuke lose his breath.

 **“If only. I was way rougher towards you,”** he managed to say after regaining his composure. **“I still feel guilty about treating you the way I did when we first met, you know,”** Sousuke mentioned hesitantly while scratching the back of his head.

 **“No, our meeting was perfect and I thank the Gods for it everyday. If it weren’t for you Sousuke, Zeus knows that I would not be here today,”** Makoto moved a little closer to Sousuke and he rested his right hand on Sousuke’s left arm. This made the other man feel nervous, but he could not help but look at Makoto and study his attractive features, it was not until he saw the scar on the left side of Makoto’s neck that he came back to reality. This act made him move his arm away from Makoto’s warm touch, which made Makoto immediately realize what was happening.

 **“You know, Sousuke…even this scar I treasure,”** without any hesitation he reached out to grab Sousuke’s right hand. **“You know why?”** Carefully he placed Sousuke’s hand over his scar, and he placed his own hand on top of Sousuke’s big hand. **“Because it reminds me of you, of the second chance of life that you gave me. You dispersed the fog that was clouding my eyes and my mind, and made me realize that I have to continue fighting to live. For that I will be forever grateful to you Sousuke, even if you deny the role you played. They might call you Hades in the arena, but for me you are Apollo, the sun which lights my path.”** Sousuke could feel his cheeks turning a shade of carmine, hence he turned and looked the other way so Makoto would not notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  _As mentioned in the first chapter, I will provide you with translations for the chapter titles at the end, so here is the meaning: Si vis pacem, para bellum = if you wish for peace, prepare for war. Another thing, I want to reiterate is that this fanfic will definitely be SouRin/MakoHaru centered, although sometimes it may seem it is SouMako (like in this chapter) centered. Rin and Haru will appear faster than you think, I promise, but first I wanted to concentrate more on SouMako's friendship which is why these past two chapters have been only about them. Last thing I want to clear up is that even if there were gladiator "schools" please keep in mind that most of the people in these "schools" were slaves (although some freemen gave up their liberty to join, but in this story it is not the case), hence they could not just leave forever because they wanted to. Anyway, thank you so much for reading! I hope you guys come back to read sometime next week when I update the story!_   
> 


	3. Optimum Est Pati Quod Emendare Non Possis

_“This is a landscape of dreams cemented in the past, of hopes gone cold, of girls and boys for rent in officially empty tower blocks, where none is truly so.”  
-Carla H. Krueger_

Apollo’s light had appeared and gone many times now, but Sousuke could not seem to forget Makoto’s words. They started flourishing in the deepest precipices of his mind and echoed all the way to his heart, like a silent prayer that had to be repeated infinite times. Despite the happiness that the words of Makoto gave him, he was perfectly aware that Makoto was like the images of the Gods in the temple. His eyes could feast on their perfect images, his feet could get close enough so that their blessings came upon him, but he could never reach out and touch their beautiful faces. A deep sigh escaped from his full lips, and in an almost desperate manner he ruffled his own hair, as if doing that would clear his head.

Suddenly, the feign laughter of some of the women who were working downstairs in the smaller rooms brought him back to reality. Right now was no time to be remembering the chaos that invaded his heart, he had to focus and get ready for work. With great agility he brushed his dark locks with his calloused fingers, leaving his hair perfectly styled. Tonight he was in the “luxurious” private room on the second floor of the brothel, which indicated that Tyche had decided to cover him with her mantle of good luck and fortune. Unlike the small rooms downstairs which were designated for quick service and regular clients, the room which Sousuke occupied that night indicated that a noble and rich patron had requested his services. Just by the interior design of the chamber, one could tell it was a different type of person who was to spend the night with him. The room had a vast bed which was covered in azure satin sheets and the walls were plastered with mauve paint instead of the graphic frescos of people copulating which adorned the walls downstairs. There was also a small table which had an ivory colored tablecloth, and on top lay delicacies like grapes and other fruit which were for the client. What topped it all off was a window, in which the vast night sky could be seen. It was precisely that window which was Sousuke’s favorite part of the room, because he felt that if he stretched his arms out he could actually grab a star.

Sousuke sat motionless on the satin sheets, this was not the first time that he occupied the “spectacular” chamber. Although he had barely started working two months ago, he had worked in both this chamber and the smaller chambers downstairs. His clients ranged from noble ladies who looked for new adventures, curious younger girls whose promiscuity got the best of them, and even the occasional young noble males who looked for the dominating embrace of another man. All of those faces he had seen were of people who had “class and dignity”. __  
**_What bullshit_** , Sousuke thought while he scoffed.

The only reason why he came occasionally to this place was because the madam of the brothel knew of his day profession which she kept a secret, and after talking to Octavius, the owner of the gladiator school and master of all gladiators which belonged to it, he was granted permission to earn more money. Thus, he had been baptized with the name Maximus in the brothel, where no one knew of him as Hades and much less as his real self, Sousuke. No one besides Octavius knew of this second profession of his, it was a secret he planned to maintain between them and no one else. He could not imagine what Makoto would think if he knew of the way Sousuke sold his body for money. Makoto was a gentle soul who would forgive him for the lie, but what he was scared of the most was of looking into Makoto’s gentle eyes and realizing that what lay behind them was nothing but pity. Unconceivable, his tainted body, his body which was submerged in death and filthiness would not be able to take it. That tainted body would never be able to have Makoto, but the least he could aim to have was a pure friendship with the other; the only pure thing in his life.  
  
Feeling the empty touches of perverse and accursed hands, could relive his stress and his desires for just a moment, but by the Gods, they left him feeling like a damned creature afterwards. It was in those moments that he wanted to tear his skin and curse his luck, to yell at the Gods and demand answers. Why did he have to live this way? Why had everything been taken from him in an instant? Now he wandered a wretched new city where he was seen as an object, something without much value, he was like an empty vessel without substance. Sousuke was ashamed of what his ancestors would think, his strong body which was closely watched and trained, was supposed to bring glory to Sparta, not shame. Now he was nothing but the plaything of the Romans, whether it was in the arena or in bed. Sometimes he cursed Hades for not taking him that day in the field, instead of being saved and enslaved. Nothing mattered now, he had to do what had to be done to earn money and pay for the freedom of Makoto and his, which was why he was doing all of this. In secret, a secret that would tangle with lies and eventually it would turn into a whole spiderweb of nothing but them. Without a doubt he would lie to Makoto, and he would tell him that he gained the money to buy their freedom in the arena. There were no dark intentions though, what he wanted the most was for Makoto to leave and to go back to his family in Athens or to build a new one wherever fate would take him. As for him, it did not matter, wherever the Gods would conspire to take him, he would follow. Anywhere would be good, except for this wretched city which had stripped him of everything he once enjoyed back in Sparta.

 **“Maximus, the client is about to get here!”** The madam excitedly announced while giving the door a couple of knocks and setting off.  
That was the queue that he had been waiting for, so without thinking twice he took his loincloth off and hid it away from view. His perfectly bronzed body was exposed to the dim light of the moon, for tonight Artemis had decided not to peace Sousuke with her full light. Carefully, he set the incense on top of the table and immediately the room started filling with the fragrant smell of sandalwood. With an almost unsettling tranquility, he lighted a few candles, which in turn enveloped the room with a very soft light, perfect to set the mood. When all was ready, he grabbed a long white piece of fabric, which he wrapped around his waist to cover his full manhood.

A new set of laughter echoed through the walls, yet unlike before, it was a masculine laughter. This laughter did not belong to any of the other young men who worked in the brothel, so he assumed that the clients were here.  
**“Don’t be scared! You’ll probably like it!”** There was a bit more teasing before the laughter started quieting down, until it finally faded. Sousuke had thought nothing of it and he turned around to face the window, to look at the stars, something pure and beautiful before tainting himself one more time.

There was a shy knock on the door before it started creaking, as it was opened slowly. The sound of soft footsteps were the only audible thing in the room, and the door creaked once again as the other closed it behind him.

Sousuke turned around, and what greeted his eyes was a very peculiar sight which he had never seen before. Who was standing before him was someone very beautiful, small rosy lips, a perfectly sculpted nose, a pair of glowing crimson eyes, and flaming red hair which was styled in a boyish haircut. The other’s brows were furrowed as Sousuke slowly studied all of his features, for he was unable to decide if the other was a young male or female, for the Gods had gifted him with delicate features.

 **“H-hello, something wrong?!”** It was when he spoke that Sousuke definitely knew he was a boy because of the ring in his voice. The expression that he wore and his awkward greeting made the gladiator’s laughter erupt, which was a rare occurrence of him; ever since he had arrived in Rome laughter was a foreign concept to him. Hearing Sousuke’s laughter made the boy blush a deep shade of scarlet, which he tried to hide by looking at his golden sandals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  The meaning of the chapter title is: Optimum est pati quod emendare non possis = It is best to endure what you cannot change, which I felt was very adequate for this chapter. For this chapter I know I concentrated a lot more on Sousuke, but I promise that Makoto's time will come very soon. Also, I know it was a very short chapter but I actually split it in half, originally it was going to be longer but ultimately I decided to make it into two chapters. The next chapter I will publish next week, I'll try not to take too long to publish it like I did with this one (ngl I was distracted with Fire Emblem Conquest lol) but we'll see. Hopefully you like it!


	4. Malum Consilium Quod Mutari Non Potest

_“Can you imagine yourself in paradise?  Even the daughter of Gods must know loneliness,  must sometimes want nothing more than to be trapped in a hell of forevers.”  
-Clementine von Radics_  


The laughter that echoed in the room had a different ring to it, there were no traces of maliciousness in Sousuke’s musical laughter. A fact that did not appease the boy, on the contrary, it seemed to make him press those rosy lips into a thin line. After feeling satisfied Sousuke eyed the boy once again and noticed his elegant white toga, definitely it was different from his worn toga which had become ashen with time. The toga and the golden sandals indicated that the boy was of a good household, of an entire different world from that of Sousuke.

 **“What?”** His furrow had not disappeared, but there were no more hints of scarlet on his face.

 **“My apologies, I realize that was very rude of me,”** Sousuke cautiously took a few steps closer and bowed his head as a sign of apology. **“I-it’s alright, I guess…although that was strange,”** the boy emanated a strong aura of nervousness, indicating that it was his first time in such a despairing place. **“If I may ask, what is your name?”** a feign smile formed on his lips, the type of smile he gave to his clients.

The furrow disappeared from the boy’s face but his crimson eyes looked at him with a hint of coldness mixed with another hint of fear and curiousness. **“My name is Rin…what is yours?”**

Curiosity was a trait which he had never encountered in any of the clients which visited him in the brothel. Mainly they just came to do what they needed to satisfy their foul bodies and took their leave, without asking any questions or caring about the man which they had laid with in bed. Naturally, Rin’s question had caught him by surprise, but he knew how to control his emotions, he could almost be called an actor, hence he did not show any trace of it. 

**“Nice to meet you Rin, my name is Maximus,”** he walked towards the bed and sat down on top of the satin sheets. **“Would you like to take a seat?”** With his index finger he pointed at the spot next to his. **“Maximus…?”** the boy repeated, with some doubt which he could not mask. **“Alright, I will,”** with that he sat hesitantly on the bed in the same side as Sousuke, but as far away from him as he could, making him end up on the corner of the bed. Definitely, this boy called Rin was a whole different species, rather than making an advance he cowered away like a scared little pup.

 **“Listen, Maximus…um,”** nervously he played with his hands before looking directly into Sousuke’s eyes. **“I’m going to tell you something but you better not laugh or tell anyone or else…or else I’ll send an army of gladiators after you!”** Once again the boy furrowed his brows, it seemed that it was his natural expression. If before Sousuke had thought Rin was different, now he was definitely curious about him. Who in his right mind would trust a perfect stranger with a secret? _You want to send the gladiators after me? Silly boy._ Sousuke’s thought’s ran like Hermes through his mind, but he did not vocalize any of them, instead all he managed to say was, **“Okay, what is it?”**

 **“Well…you see,”** inching closer enough so that Sousuke could listen, Rin revealed in a low voice. **“Actually, I was dragged by my friends here, they had told me that I needed to prove that I had grown up, so they brought me here. All of them have been here before, that’s why they said that it was also natural for me to do it.”** For a second he stopped and kept on looking at Souske, who simply nodded. **“I am no coward, I just want to make it clear…I have done all the proper rites to step into manhood, but this is something that for now I refuse to do for a reason…but I will not reveal that to a stranger.”**

One of a kind, was what this boy could be called, for not only did he refuse to do what people came to the brothel for, but his thought process was different as well. This time a real smile formed on his lips, although small it reached his sad eyes, making them glimmer with the light of the candles. Rin could not help but stare and blink, he noticed that this smile was different from the first one. It was a real smile, and that smile made Rin think he could trust Sousuke at least a little. In the eyes of Rin, Sousuke was also strange, an enigma which made him feel infinitely curious.  


**“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. So don’t be scared, I won’t do anything you don’t want to. If anyone were to ask, I’ll tell them that we spent the night together as it is expected of us,”** a surge of happiness invaded Rin as Sousuke spoke those words, he had been right about trusting him. **“Do you promise? You have to promise in the name of Jupiter!”** Unlike the Greeks, the Romans liked to call the Gods by a different name, which was something Sousuke was not very used to yet. **“I promise in the name of Jupiter, Rin,”** The frown disappeared permanently from Rin’s face, and now he wore a stern look while he crossed his arms in front of his chest. **“Alright, it is a promise between men then, but we have to promise properly.”**

The last phrase confused Sousuke, which was evident by the way he arched his right eyebrow. In Sparta, once someone promised something it would be taken very seriously. After all, what was a man without his word? He would be a traitor, and he could be anything else in the world, except for that. **“What do you mean by that?”** Sousuke inched a little closer, Rin looked at him carefully while a small grin started forming on his luscious lips, but rather than being a malicious grin, it was like the grin of a child; filled with a mix of pride and triumph. **“If you don’t know then I’ll teach you, don’t worry,”** Rin moved and closed most of the distance between Sousuke and himself, then he stretched his arm. For a second, Sousuke thought he was going to touch him, but instead the boy showed him his little finger. This made the older man tilt his head to the side while staring at the boy’s slender finger. The crimson haired boy stared at him, while thinking that the other looked like a big puppy, it was endearing in a sense. **“Don’t just stare at it, do the same,”** Rin said while Sousuke hesitated, but once he saw the warm smile on the boy’s face, he did it without hesitation. **“Good, and now we do this and seal the promise,”** Rin intertwined his little finger with Sousuke's. It was such an innocent touch, Sousuke felt strange about it, but not in a bad way, it was the opposite. **“What do you call this?”** Rin did not answer right away, he was too focused on the way it felt to touch Sousuke, immediately he started feeling self-conscious. **“Hm?..Ah! I-it’s called a pinky promise,”** Sousuke smiled gently at Rin which made the boy’s cheek tint with a deep shade of roseate. **“Thank you for teaching me this, I suppose it is also part of our secret now,”** Sousuke kept their little fingers closely intertwined while he chuckled softly, this made Rin feel more self-conscious than before, but he did not take his hand away from the other. **“You’re welcome…”** The roseate color hadn’t disappeared from the boy’s cheeks, causing Sousuke to feel strangely pleased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title meaning: Malum Consilium Quod Mutari Non Potest = It is a bad plan that can't be changed. Anyway, I'm sorry for taking forever to publish this chapter! I know I said I was going to try to publish one chapter per week but these past days I was ill and I was also busy with work and studying for an important exam. Now I will try to publish once a week as I had stated before, in fact I will try to publish another chapter in about three days and then next week I will publish again another chapter. I really hope that you guys liked this chapter and that you don't feel disappointed on the innocent outcome haha. Next chapter will focus on MakoHaru, since I have been concentrating too much on SouRin lately (how I love them <3). Hopefully you will continue following and liking my story!


	5. Carpe Diem

_“She is a mermaid, but approach her with caution.  
Her mind swims at a depth, most would drown in.”  
-J. Iron Word_

Today Chronos had favoured the gladiators, for they were allowed to finish practice earlier than usual and granted permission to spend that spare time doing whatever they deemed proper for themselves. Makoto was elated because it had been a while since he had left the somber walls of the gladiator school and now the perfect chance to wander outside had presented itself. His olive eyes watched Sousuke as he battled against a young gladiator who was still learning to combat. The little spare time that was given to them, Makoto had wanted to spend with his raven haired companion, but Sousuke wanted to train more. A fact which did not surprise Makoto, for he knew that when he went into his “Hades” mode, he could not be stopped. The young man gazed at the warrior with a speck of sadness for one last time before heading out.  


Rapidly, his feet moved until he was out of the doors, however his pace did not slow down. On the contrary, his speed incremented, he went from walking to jogging, and then from jogging to running. The wind caressed the bare skin on his chest, and a grand smile decorated his face as he ran. It had been a long time he had gone out for a run, for his life as a gladiator left him with almost no time to do the things he loved. Running was something that he loved to do in the past, so much that he planned on following the Tachibana family tradition; participating in the mighty Olympics. It seemed like Nike had covered the males of his family with her gentle mantle, hence why they all had succeeded and come out victorious in the Olympics. Like his father, Makoto wanted to participate and bring honor to his loved ones and to the Goddess herself, but the Moirai had other plans for his future.  


Dressed in just a tightly wrapped loincloth which exposed his toned legs and his well sculpted back and chest, he ran through a path which he hadn’t taken before. It was filled with trees which stood tall and proud, and with grass which tickled the soles of his feet. None of the scenery distracted him, on the contrary, it was the sudden image which appeared on his mind which did so, this was evident because his pace slightly decreased.  


The image of the man which a while ago he had left behind at the gladiator school, dominated his thoughts. At first Makoto thought it was all in his head and he was imagining things, but Sousuke seemed a bit different. It was a fact he confirmed after looking closely at Sousuke, without the latter noticing. Sousuke had never been a person to get distracted, on the contrary, he claimed one always had to be alert and aware of things happening around. Nonetheless, it had been in these past few days that he had been acting the opposite of what he preached. The first sign was when Octavius had brought some cheap fabric of different colors that he intended for them to use as loincloths which they wore during training. Hence, he made each of the gladiators select the color they wanted to wear. Makoto had selected a jade coloured fabric, while Sousuke’s eyes were glued to a crimson piece of fabric which was laid in front of him. Makoto had caught the other muttering to himself about what a beautiful color it was while he took it for himself and stared at it intently as if rather than seeing the fabric itself he was seeing something else. Strange, was the least that the brunette could call it, for Sousuke had always claimed that the color red reminded him of blood.  


The new peculiar like which Sousuke had for the crimson color was not the only thing which made Makoto suspect that there was something odd going on with his friend. There were also times in which he glanced at Sousuke, and rather than watching the training battle going on before him, or eating the food that was placed in front of him, he was occupied staring at his little finger. Sometimes rather than staring he caught Sousuke touching it lightly with his other hand while looking at it momentarily then turning to look at something random, as if he was deep in thought. Just yesterday, Makoto decided to confront Sousuke, by asking him if he was preoccupied with something or if he could help him, but Sousuke just shook his head and told him he was imagining things.  


Finally, Makoto came to a pause, he bent down to touch his knees with his hands while he stared at the ground. Sweat dripped from his forehead and landed on the dirt, while he breathed heavily and looked at the dark circles that his fallen sweat formed on the ground. Without noticing, he had made it to the end of the manmade path, he could either turn back or keep going. If things had not been the way they were with Sousuke he would have turned back, but he didn’t because he couldn’t shake the feeling that Sousuke was lying to him and he didn't like that. Without realizing, Makoto furrowed his eyebrows and sighed deeply, almost despairingly. If Sousuke had a problem or was having a difficult time, Makoto wanted to be there for him, to comfort him, but if Sousuke didn’t let him in, then he couldn’t do anything for the other. After his breath was more controlled he stood up straight and looked at the scenery before him. Surely, there was no path, but he didn’t feel like facing Sousuke after thinking about so many things, so without thinking twice he started walking to an unknown destination.  


Before he knew it, he was deep into the forest, but this did not scare him. The only thing that bothered him was that he was getting thirsty after all the running that he did, but it was too late to turn back now. As if the Gods were answering his prayers, he saw a lake at a distance. The water sparkled beautifully as the sun seemed to reach down and touch it, the more he looked at it, the drier his throat felt. Slowly he walked towards the lake, it was odd and he felt that if he said it out loud it would make it seem like he lost his mind, but it was as if the lake itself or something in the lake was calling his name. Despite that, he stopped just a few steps before reaching the lake, the water was so clean and clear that he could see something swimming inside. Certainly, it was too large to be a fish, but he could not make up completely its form. Cautiously he walked to the edge of the lake to have a better look, and that was when the creature’s head and torso peered out of the water.  


**“Ah…”** Was the only thing which Makoto was able to articulate, for he was in shock. This made the creature turn and to look directly at him, his pearly skin glistened against the sun, his hair was a mixture of both onyx and cobalt, and his eyes, those sapphire eyes were as deep as the sea, and he felt that they could swallow him whole.  


The creature was stunning, so stunning and pretty which had made Makoto draw the conclusion that it was a Mermaid. He had remembered the stories that circulated amongst the merchants and seaman in Greece, which claimed that if you saw a mermaid you should run away before it lured you and ate your heart whole. The Mermaid was in the middle of the lake, studying Makoto. This meant that Makoto still had time to run before being entangled, but he decided against it. Rather than doing so, he stepped closer until he was at the edge of the lake, with his eyes fixated on the alluring "Mermaid".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a very popular phrase today so I reckon you have heard it already, but if you haven't it's no biggie. Here is the meaning Carpe Diem - Seize the day. On another note, here is the chapter that I had promised to deliver a few days ago. Finally, some MakoHaru, I know some of you (and by some of you, I mean I just know one person for sure lol) was waiting for this pairing to appear. Hopefully it is to your liking, and that you keep on supporting both of these couples. Also, I know I haven't mentioned before but if you guys don't understand the meaning of the Gods that I mention here, feel free to ask me either here or in my tumblr about them (although to be honest, I would probably reply faster here). Please stay tuned for the following chapter next week!


	6. A Buon Intenditor Poche Parole

_“I am a creature of the Fey_  
_Prepare to give your soul away_  
_My spell is passion and it is art_  
_My song can bind a human heart.”_  
_-Heather Alexander_

The blue eyed enchanter was fixated on Makoto, the fact that he was only wearing a loincloth left his well built physique exposed to those eyes which resembled the ocean. Never had his sapphire eyes seen such a handsome person, which made him wonder if Apollo himself had decided to come and greet him. He knew he was not special enough to have a God visit him, nor did he care to be visited by one. Yet somehow seeing the man whose olive eyes studied him, made him believe the stories which many people told; sometimes the Gods walked among the mortals. All types of thoughts ran through his head as he was deciding what to do next, it wasn’t until Makoto moved to the edge of the lake when the other hid back in the water, much to Makoto’s disappointment.  


**“I’m sorry, did I scare you?”** Although he knew it was not a logical thing to do, he tried to talk to the mermaid. However, it was too late to turn back and run now that the mermaid had seen him, if he had to die now at least he wanted to see its lovely face again. The gladiator liked to think that he was a logical man, but this time he did not wish to be so. More than morbidness or simple curiosity to face the unknown, he wanted to face the creature because he had felt that a veil which had been covering his eyes had finally been lifted when his eyes met the eyes of the mermaid.  


No matter how much his eyes searched through the lake, there was no sign of the mermaid, which made him feel slightly disappointed. Just as he was about to dive in the lake, the dryness of his throat reminded him of the thirst he felt, perhaps a mix of that and the heat had made him hallucinate such a beautiful creature. Therefore, he concluded that it was not a reasonable idea to swim in the lake. Also, why would there be a mermaid in a lake? Those were creatures of the sea, of vast and sparkling waters, not creatures of small lakes. Dreams where best left for when he was asleep, his status did not let him dream while awake, so he decided to ignore what had happened. _Maybe I can meet the mermaid again in my dreams sometime_ , he thought dejectedly. A melancholic sigh escaped from his pouty lips as he crouched down to get some water to drink. While doing so, he noticed a face in the water which was coming closer to him. Without anytime to back away the mermaid’s face surfaced from the water and stopped just centimeters away from his own face; he could even feel the mermaids breathing. Rather than backing away, the mermaid stood still looking into Makoto’s olive eyes. An action which made Makoto feel incredibly embarrassed, his whole face had now turned into a strong shade of ruby as he backed away immediately. The fast pace in which he did it made him stumble and he fell backwards, landing on his back. Everything had happened extremely fast, hence he was trying to process what just had happened while looking up at the clouds.  


Before he knew it, the clouds had disappeared from his view and what he saw again was the mermaid’s face. This time, their faces were not as close as before, however they were still quite close. This action made Makoto think that mermaids had no sense of personal space, and as he was about to move away to hide his flushing face, the mermaid surprised him once again. This time the mermaid placed a hand on top of his toned chest, while he ran his fingers through Makoto’s silky hair with his other hand.  


**“What are you doing?”** This was the only intelligent thing Makoto could babble while he looked with surprise at the other. **“You’re a human,”** the mermaid mentioned confidently after confirming that he was not Apollo, by feeling his heartbeat and witnessing his flushing face. This did not disillusion the sapphire eyed one, he was sure that Apollo loved the stranger by granting him such good looks. In turn, Makoto hadn’t expected for him to talk, but when he did it was like music to his ears, as if a mermaid herself was singing to him; his voice was delicate and soft yet it had a manly tone to it. **“Eh? Of course I’m a human, but you…is it because you’re a mermai-…merman and you haven’t seen a human for a while that you’re asking?”** The merman took his hands away from Makoto and disappeared from his view, but he could still hear his voice. **“What do you mean a merman?”** The boy’s cheeks turned rosy, something that Makoto couldn’t see from his view because he was still laying on his back. **“Clearly, I am a human being,”** at these words Makoto sat up as quickly as he could, an action which caused him to feel dizzy. Makoto closed his left eye while he rubbed his head with his left hand, with his other eye he searched for the boy and found him sitting next to him. Immediately he looked at the boys long limbs, and at his toes which he was wiggling. His legs were slender and beautiful, he gave them a discrete look until he realized that the boy was naked. **“Your clothes!”** The boy immediately understood what he meant and he pointed with his index finger to the other side of the lake. **“My clothes are all on the other side of the lake, I’ll go fetch them later,”** he dropped his arm to his side and turned to look at Makoto again. **“Are you okay? I think you hit your head a little too hard because you’re saying nonsense.”** It's not like he wasn't used to seeing naked men, after all he lived with men, and being nude was something natural, but seeing an ethereal beauty like the boy in that state made him feel flustered.   


**“What do you mean nonsense? I’m fine,”** the young gladiator looked at the boy’s face, for he was concentrated on not staring anywhere else. **“If I thought you were a merman, it was because you looked so beautiful in the water, like you belonged there,”** hearing Makoto say such things made the boy flush again as he looked away. **“If you’re not a merman, then would you mind me asking…who are you?”** With his natural color now back on his face the boy looked into Makoto’s eyes, **“My name is Haruka, and I am human. Who are you?”** For the first time since he had arrived at the lake, Makoto smiled and in a sweet manner to Haruka, which attracted more of Haruka’s attention. **“Nice to meet you, Haruka. My name is Makoto and I’m also human,”** saying such a thing made Makoto chuckle.  


Chronos had finished favouring the gladiator, for he had not noticed that it was now dusk; this meant that he had to go back to the gladiator school before Octavius sent someone looking for him. Makoto looked at the sky, he dreaded going back because he wanted to know more about Haruka than his name and species. Haruka noticed that Makoto looked at the sky anxiously, so he opened his mouth, but before he could ask anything, Makoto interrupted him. **“I’m sorry Haruka, but it’s time for me to go back,”** his charming smile had disappeared and instead an apologetic one took its place. **“Is it?”** Haruka couldn’t help but feel slightly crestfallen, as a result he looked away from Makoto and stared at the grass, while wondering if he would see Makoto again. **“Yes, but I would like to ask you something before I go. It may be a bit bold, but can I see you again?”** This made Haruka rapidly look up at Makoto, and for just an instant his sapphire eyes widened. **“Yes, if you can, then I’ll see you here in four nights,”** a jubilant smile formed on Makoto’s lips, which made it seemed like he was also smiling with his olive eyes. **“I’ll see you in four nights, Haruka. Thank you.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter title is not hard to translate because it means "few words (are sufficient) for the good listener". The hard part of it is to explain it, the reason is that it is a very popular saying so I know what it means but I'm not sure I can explain it too well. However I'll try my best, what it means is that a wise person does not need too many words to understand something. The reason why I called this chapter like that is because unlike SouRin who are more verbal, MakoHaru don't need to be that verbal (this will probably be more clear later). Anyway, hope everything I wrote here in the chapter notes makes sense, and it's not just me rambling haha. After this chapter, I'll try my best to make the chapters longer, but I can't make any promises. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it! Also, I hope that by reading this chapter, any questions that I could not answer last time, were answered.


	7. Quod Scripsi, Scripsi

_"They say that he corrupted her,_  
_that Hades’s flower wilted under the stench of his death_  
_but they forget that Spring is rebirth,_  
_that if anyone could be touched by the underworld and flourish,_  
_that it would be her._  
_They say that he tricked her,_  
_that she did not want to stay…_  
_and it is not because he will not let her leave_  
_it is because she does not want to go.”_  
_-C.B._

In the course of a few weeks, his world was gradually painted in different hues of red. This small colour range triggered numerous memories which illustrated the features that belonged to that particular stranger which he met nights ago. Silky fiery red hair, soft looking cheeks which were tinted in scarlet, but above all what remained in the gladiator’s memory like a new hidden treasure were those unforgettable crimson eyes. A pair of eyes that possessed the power to bewitch a man and which could even rival Aphrodite’s own dazzling eyes. There was no other proper way to call this situation, than a curse. Sousuke found no other way to explain what was going on, than to say it was a curse which the Gods had placed on him. The proof of it was that said colors seemed to be in his view more than ever, it was as if they yelled his name, begging for him to see and remember. This aggravating situation happened when he was eating, training, resting, and even at that precise moment, when the crimson fabric which he had chosen days ago laid at the foot of the bed. 

Nyx had decided to allow Apollo to take a rest, hence she took over the sky and decorated it with darkness. However, not even said darkness extinguished the fiery red colour of the fabric. Impotence filled Sousuke’s chest, the only thing he could do was let out a loud sigh. So loud it was, that for a moment his eyes widened as he looked at the figure which rested peacefully on the bed. Fortunately, Makoto was not awakened and he kept on sleeping, which made Sousuke thankful. Lately, Makoto seemed to be extremely curious, always looking at him and asking him if he was troubled. Not that he minded Makoto looking at him, but he would rather those olive eyes stared at him for a whole other reason rather than worry. This whole situation hit a breaking point when Makoto noticed, because this meant that Sousuke was letting his unwelcome thoughts take over him. Putting his thoughts at a pause, he stared at Makoto carefully, making sure that he was asleep before heading out of the door and to his destination for the night. 

None of it made sense to him, why would he think about a person he met for only a night. After all, he met other people as a “worker of the night”, yet he never gave them a second thought. The only conclusion his confused mind could come up with, was that his curiosity had been far too great and unusual, different from other times. Of course it had to be it, just plain curiosity, so he needed to stop thinking about a person who disappeared like smoke and which would never appear in front of his eyes again. That was the way things were supposed to be, he didn't need anymore problems than the ones he already had. Forgetting everything would be best, his only concern was to survive, to protect Makoto, and to gain their freedom. All of his thoughts ran faster than he had imagined, for the dull facade of the brothel greeted him with open doors along with a golden haired girl who also worked there and who was soliciting a client. Her hazel eyes looked at Sousuke as she waved at him; he waved back in a polite manner and entered the building in a haste. The usual activity took place inside, there were people coming and going, some of the rooms had curtains to hide the acts occurring inside while others displayed them proudly to everyone who passed by. The smell of cheap wine and copulation invaded his nostrils, while the noise of laughing, talking, and moaning invaded his ears. Lamentably, he was used to all of the occurrences in the brothel, so he ignored everything around him and headed for the second floor. With each step he took, he breathed in and out in an attempt to prepare and to numb himself for the night. As he was about to knock on the wooden door which belonged to the madam of the brothel, he heard a familiar voice which drowned the other voices in the second floor. 

**“Stop bothering me or I’ll make you regret it!”** That voice sounded familiar, like the voice of the boy with crimson eyes, but he had no business there anymore so Sousuke assumed his mind was playing tricks on him. **“Aaww come on, don't be like that, I know you'll have a fun night with me!”** Rough and grotesque laughter invaded the second floor, and Sousuke knew it belonged to Cassius. This man was a few years older than Sousuke, he was foul, vulgar, vain, and he had bad fame in the brothel, for they said that he liked to take advantage in unspeakable ways of people he deemed as weak. There was a tiny possibility that Rin could be there, and if it was so, Sousuke would not let Cassius near him. His feet moved fast, he was almost running but he didn't have to since luckily, the voices seemed to come from the end of the hallway and Sousuke made it there quickly. Unfortunately he had been right, Cassius’ tall frame was cornering someone, his long auburn hair covered his face, but Sousuke didn't need to see him to know what kind of foul face he was making, his eyes staring in an inappropriate manner at the one who he had claimed as his pray and who he was about to touch with those preposterous hands. Sousuke caught a glimpse of that fiery red hair which had taken over his thoughts daily and he knew he had to protect him, the shy and innocent boy he met nights ago. 

**“What are you doing Cassius?”** Sousuke pushed Cassius away from Rin before he could touch him, and he stood in between them to protect Rin. **“Well, what do we have here? The gallant hero finally makes his appearance. There’s no need to react that way, I was just having a little fun with this precious flower. Weren’t we having fun?”** Cassius looked at Rin with a perverse smile, Rin looked away uncomfortably, and instead he glanced at Sousuke. **“Don’t be ridiculous, go away before I make you regret it,”** as he spoke Sousuke shot a glance at Cassius which he only used in the arena, a glance Hades gave to his opponents as a warning of what was to come for them. Seeing the deep hatred and darkness in Sousuke’s teal eyes made Rin shiver while wondering what had caused Sousuke to posses the capability of giving such a look. **“My, my, just look at you feeling so secure Maximus. Don’t get cocky just because the kid had been looking for you for several nights. Here I was being kind and providing him some company while you cruelly made him wait,”** at Cassius words, Sousuke turned to look at Rin as his eyebrows knitted into a frown. The sight which greeted him was Rin’s scarlet face which he immediately tried to hide in embarrassment as he turned down to look at the floor. Not wishing for Cassius to see Rin’s cute expression, he grabbed Rin’s small wrist with his left hand. **“Let’s go,”** he said commandingly as he pulled Rin away and made him follow, as Cassius blasted loud curses at Sousuke. 

Sousuke headed to the same room where they had met, their footsteps were so fast and loud that they could almost overpower the noise of the brothel. Once they had reached the room, Sousuke closed the door so hard it made loud noise which made Rin widen his crimson eyes in surprise. Sousuke let go of him as the boy stood motionless like the column of a temple, waiting to see Sousuke’s reaction. It was not fear that made him stand like that, it was anticipation and interest. The frown on Sousuke’s handsome face had not disappeared as he turned to look at Rin accusingly. **“What are you doing here?”** Rin looked away from him, feeling his embarrassment creep up on him again. **“I was looking for you, Maximus,”** he said in almost a whisper, hoping that Sousuke had not heard him. Much to his disbelief however, Sousuke had heard him loud and clear, but he didn’t know how to feel because of this unexpected outcome. **“Why? Were you afraid that I was going to say something? I promised you I wasn’t, and I thought you had believed me. Did you think I was going to betray you or blackmail you?”** Although still feeling embarrassed, Rin looked directly into Souske’s teal eyes and he shook his head quickly. **“It’s not that at all..”** There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he clenched his fists. **“Then? This is no place for you. You don’t belong in this type of crude world,”** Sousuke could confidently say that because last time he had caught the innocence that was etched in Rin’s heart. 

**“I came to thank you for last time, I felt like I didn’t thank you enough,”** knowing full well that it was half a lie, he broke they eye contact he had with Sousuke and instead he looked at the lit candles which were on top of the table. **“You thanked me enough, there is no need for you to do more…you should leave, I’ll accompany you to the door,”** Sousuke was about to head to the door but he was caught by surprise by the boy’s sudden outburst. **“What do you mean leave? I’ve been coming here for several nights to thank you, and instead of seeing you I’ve seen that big brute who has been bothering me to spend the night with him. I’ve seen enough of him to last me a lifetime! Even after that you still want me to leave,”** his crimson eyes glistened which made it look like he was about to cry, and he frowned deeply, much so that his eyebrows seemed like they were about to become one. There he went again, acting in an endearing manner which made it impossible for Sousuke to turn him away. Sousuke’s features softened as he looked at Rin warmly, a small smile formed on his lips. **“You’re right, I’m sorry I just got a little caught up in the moment,”** rather than walking to the door, he went and sat on top of the bed as Rin watched him surprised. **“Come on, sit with me,”** the boy nodded and rather than sitting away from Sousuke like he did last time, this time he sat next to him. **“Now let me see,”** he reached out and took Rin’s hand, which made the latter’s cheek coulour in roseate. **“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?”** Rin’s crimson eyes were glued to Sousuke as he examined his wrist. **“No, I’m a man you know? I can take as much as this, so I'm okay. By the way, thank you for saving me,”** Sousuke gently ran his thumb over Rin’s wrist and at the same time his teal eyes examined the boy’s wrist to make sure there were no red marks, such contact made the boy blush even deeper. **“It’s the least I could do, after you came to look for me all those nights,”** this made Rin look down at his knees, as a result several strands of his scarlet hair covered his face. **“Don’t mention it…I mean it, don’t mention it,”** it’s obvious he was embarrassed, but if he was so embarrassed then why did he do it? Sousuke couldn’t answer this, all he knew was that the beautiful boy was full of contradictions. 

The gladiator wanted to ask the boy so many questions, why he had bothered to come several nights just to look for someone like him? Why was it so important to thank him? Why didn’t he want this to be mentioned? Nonetheless, it was crystal clear that Rin didn’t want to talk about it and he didn't want to make the boy feel uncomfortable so he kept silent about it. **“Are you hungry?”** Sousuke let go of Rin’s hand and stood up to go get the large wooden fruit bowl which was on top of the table. The lack of skinship almost made Rin pout, for he liked the warmness that Sousuke’s large calloused hands emanated. **”There’s pomegranates, but it’s only one,”** the mention of the fruit made Rin perk up, a fact that Sousuke noticed when he looked at him. **“I’ll go get more, just give me a second,”** the raven haired man had the pomegranate in one hand as he walked past Rin, but before he could walk any further, Rin took a hold of his hand. **“Wait, that’s okay. You don’t need to go get more, just one is fine,”** there was a small pout on Rin’s rosy lips and his crimson eyes looked intently at Sousuke, he had a tight hold on Sousuke’s large hand. **“Okay, if one is enough for you then I won’t go,”** he wanted to ruffle those beautiful flaming locks, but instead he resisted the urge and sat down next to the boy. He noticed that Rin hadn’t let go of his hand as he sat down, hence he looked at their hands. Rin directed his gaze to where Sousuke was looking and once again his cheeks flushed in a carmine color. **“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice!”** The boy said truthfully as he was about to pull his hand away, but Sousuke did not let him and he caught Rin’s hand in his, which made the flush on Rin’s face permanent. **“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. Here, have the pomegranate,”** with his free hand Rin took the pomegranate, but his eyes widened at another realization. **“Were you going to get more fruit because you’re hungry? I didn’t think about that, sorry,”** this made Sousuke chuckle at Rin’s naivety. 

**“You probably don’t know this because you’ve only come here twice, but we are not allowed to eat any food here. All of the food which is in the rooms is only for the clients and not us,”** Rin’s beautiful gleaming crimson eyes filled with a sudden sadness. **“But if I say you can have it, then it’s alright no?”** Sousuke shook his head at him. **“I’m not hungry, you can have it,”** Rin scrunched his nose while the frown that seemed to decorate his face so naturally returned to his face. **“I know, let’s play micatio*, whoever wins gets the pomegranate!”** He was truly a childish one, an untainted being whom the Gods had decided to protect, and let him have his innocence untarnished. Rather than being jealous or envious, seeing Rin act that way made his chest feel tight. When he was in the arena he felt his chest tighten, but it was not in the same manner, this time it felt different in almost a good way. **“I suppose I have to, otherwise you will get mad, won’t you?”** Rin’s eyebrows returned to normal and a proud smile demonstrated how triumphant he felt, it was so big that it showed his shark-like teeth. **“Alright! Let’s play,”** Rin placed the pomegranate on top of his legs which were covered by his ivory toga, and he positioned his free hand for battle as did Sousuke. **“One, two, three, even”** Chanted Rin. **"One, two three, odd,"** chanted Sousuke. The winner was declared instantly, both Sousuke and Rin were showing two fingers, which meant that Rin had guessed correctly. **“Congratulations, you’re the victor,”** Sousuke smiled warmly at Rin, who couldn’t help but smile back at the young man. 

Rin let go of Sousuke’s hand, with both hands he split the carmine pomegranate into two. **“Please eat half of it,”** he handed a half of the pomegranate to Sousuke, the latter was about to protest. **“You can’t deny my request because I was the winner,”** Rin snickered in a childish manner as he encouraged Sousuke to take the half of the fruit. Sousuke took the half that was offered to him and gave it a small bite, immediately a juicy sweetness filled his mouth. This act seemed to make Rin happy for he smiled widely and timidly he put his hand next to Sousuke’s, making them touch. Rin proceeded to eat his half contentedly, he was even eating the seeds, which Sousuke had not expected. The sweet fruit’s juice was flowing out of Rin’s mouth and onto his chin, the other seemed too entranced with the fruit that he did not notice. **“Proserpina,”** Sousuke said as he reached out and ran his calloused thumb over Rin’s chin slowly, in an effort to clean the juice from his chin and prevent it from staining the boy’s ivory toga. **“Also liked to eat pomegranates,”** Rin felt almost entranced as he felt Sousuke’s thumb brush against his full lips, his cheeks tainted in crimson as a reaction. **“But got tricked, and ate seven pomegranate seeds. You ought to watch out…”** Sousuke did not know what had come over him, but Rin had reminded him of Persephone or how the Romans called her, Proserpina. She was so beautiful and innocent and just because of that she had been tricked by Hades to stay in the Underworld. Rin’s lips were now tinted red because of the pomegranate, Sousuke brushed them one last time with his thumb before letting his hand fall on his lap. 

The color of his hair now matched with Rin’s face, which was flaming red. He had stayed still after Sousuke’s stopped touching him, the only thing he could hear was his heart beating faster than it ever had before. Deciding to break the silence, he faced Sousuke, with his face still tainted in red. **“You’re wrong, Pluto did not trick her. It was she who decided to eat the pomegranate seeds, so she could stay by his side,”** Sousuke studied the boy’s alluring face, he loved seeing him blush but he could not help but arch an eyebrow at what he heard. **“That’s an interesting take, I had never heard that before,”** maybe the Romans had a different side to the story which was why Sousuke had never heard that before. **“Mhm…pomegranates are my favorite fruit, just like hers. Eating the seeds is not so bad, they taste good, if I eat them it’s by choice,”** there were meaning behind those words, but Sousuke decided not to investigate too much into what Rin was saying exactly. 

Feeling more composed, Rin felt confident enough to talk once again in a more calm manner. **“So, you don’t work here everyday?”** There it was, that curiosity he had not encountered in any of the clients before. **“No, I don’t. I only come when I can. In the past I’ve tried coming three times a week but now I can’t,”** now more than ever he had to train seriously because the gladiator battles were approaching again soon. **“Hmm…I see,”** With his slender index finger, he was tapping his chin while staring at the ceiling as if thinking something. **“Since I told you what my favorite fruit is, it is only fair you tell me yours,”** Sousuke was trying to distract himself so he was taking his last bite of the pomegranate. Unusual was the only word he could think when it came to someone asking him personal questions. As personal as a question about his favorite fruit could get, nonetheless it was a personal question, in the gladiator school almost everyone evaded these types of questions because they evoked images of their past lives in freedom. Unless they were really close to someone, like he was with Makoto, they would ask each other personal questions. It was silly but true, the question which the beautiful boy asked him, had reminded him of his home, Sparta, and his humble and basic diet. Rin couldn't help but stare, the people he knew would reply quickly without much thought, but Sousuke did not. **“I suppose I don't really have any, but if I could choose then this pomegranate was very good,”** unconsciously he licked his thumb which still had some juice on it. Rin blushed, it was the same thumb he had used to wipe away the juice from his lips and chin. 

Sousuke felt puzzled when he saw Rin feeling embarrassed, until he realized what he had done. A devilish grin insisted on appearing, but Sousuke fought it and instead he admired the beauty before him. Surely, it was probably the last time he was going to be able to admire him like this. When he realized that, there was a sudden emptiness in the pit of his stomach, something he had not felt before. When he thought about not seeing Makoto the feeling was different from this, but he had known Makoto for a while now and he had barely met this boy. Why did he feel this way? It didn’t matter though, he would not see him again and he did not dare to ask him to comeback again. Persephone belonged in a world of flowers, nymphs, and eternal spring, while his world was filled with death, loneliness and perversion. After this night, everything would go back to normal, he would lay with strangers he does not care for, it was what he had to do in order to gain the money which was going to earn him freedom. Now the only thing he needed to do was to make sure Rin wouldn’t come back, he didn’t want to taint him, and he did not want anyone else from the dirty brothel to do so either. **“Rin, after today you shouldn’t come back,”** this caught Rin by surprise because he thought everything was going well. **“Does it bother you that I’m here? Do I bother you?”** He held his hands together on his lap, his eyes looked at his golden sandals for a second before looking into Sousuke’s teal eyes with a pout which he had unconsciously formed with his lips. **“It’s not that, Rin, not at all. You just shouldn’t be here, so please don’t come back again,”** the way Rin looked at him made him want to eat his words but he had to say it so he stood his ground firmly, no smile or gentle eyes, he wore a serious expression. **“Maximus, you can’t tell me what to do. If I want to come back, I’ll come back. Just remember that Proserpina had the freedom to make her choices for herself, and so do I,”** with a seriousness that almost made Sousuke’s heart skip a beat, Rin’s crimson eyes looked deeply into his teal eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The literal title translation is "what I have written, I have written", which means what is done is done. Another thing I wanted to translate for you guys was _micatio_ , which means "to flash which fingers". This game has been played since ancient Greek and ancient Roman times, and it developed into what is now known as _morra_ , it is sort of a game like paper-scissors-rock or jankenpon. It can be played between numerous people but if it is played between two people then one calls odds and another even, they can only use one hand and show one or two fingers. Then they say "One, two, three, shoot!" and if the total number between the two players comes out to even then the one who called out even wins, and vice-versa. Another thing, the myth I wrote about here is the myth of Persephone & Hades, which is my favorite myth. There are different takes on this myth, but I think I personally let it known through Rin which one is the one I like the most. Moving on, I tried to write longer chapters, although it may not seem like it haha. Hopefully it wasn't too bad of a chapter because I was feeling very inspired while writing, because "Now We Are Free" from the Gladiator OST was playing as I was writing. Anyway, I'll try to keep the length for the next chapter as well. Until next time!


	8. Dictum Factum

_"Convince me that you want to be here;_  
_It’s not my trick that keeps you so near._  
_You chose me…This is real._  
_No silly seven seeds sealed the deal._  
_Come back wearing our hearts on your sleeve;_  
_Yearn to stay here, and I will believe.”_  
_-Unknown_

For the first time in a long time, Sousuke had been left without words. It was as if his lips had been sewn together, for he could not even begin to think of any words to utter at the moment. What the red-head had declared, took him by surprise, an emotion which he was not very fond of. The crimson eyed boy knew he had acted boldly, however, this was not strange of him. Whenever the situation warranted, he would do so, after all, he was a noble. Since very young, Rin knew that he had to act in said manner to get what he wanted, although this situation was a first; this was the first time he did it for a person. With a hint of nervousness painted on his graceful face, the boy turned to look at Sousuke while tapping his slender fingers restlessly against his lap. The gladiator’s teal eyes were carefully studying the remains of the candle which sat on the table, the flame had extinguished itself and it was emitting nothing but smoke. If it wasn’t for all the commotion that always happened in the lower floor of the building, the room would have been completely silent. 

**“You know,”** Sousuke turned to look intently at Rin, who was still watching him. **“You will find yourself engulfed in obscurity if you stay too long. There is nothing but darkness and aberration in this place…”** His large hand reached out to gently brush away Rin’s crimson locks from his face. An act which he did slowly, for he had desired to touch him again ever since their hands let go of each other. When he tucked the bright locks of hair behind the boy’s ear, he noticed that the colour of Rin’s ear matched his hair. Looking into crimson eyes, and noticing how scarlet the other’s face was, Sousuke smiled gently. **“You belong in a place where there is nothing but brightness, the same brightness you emanate,”** unconsciously Sousuke’s index finger reached out to the boy’s ear which was still red. Slowly, he traced Rin’s ear in a delicate manner, as if he was doing it to the statue of a God. 

In his twenty-two years of life, Sousuke had lived through many unpredictable situations, which at this point in time had made him believe that he would be prepared for anything that was to come his way. Nonetheless, the Gods took no pity on him and placed him once again in an unanticipated circumstance. It was ridiculous, to worry about a person who he had only met twice. His senses were never wrong, he knew how to read people since he was a General in Sparta, and what they told him was that Rin was innocent and pure. This was why he felt the duty to protect him, to tell him to leave and to go back to the place where he belonged. In luxurious homes with plenty of food and elegant clothing, somewhere far more beautiful and safe than the filthy brothel. There was sincerity in this, but a part of him also wanted Rin to stay, to find out more about the boy who was enveloped in crimson, to hear his melodious laughter, to see those childish grins…to touch him. Touching him was an experience of its own, even if he had not done it very much, every time he did so he felt a strange static. Also, unlike with Makoto, for some unknown reason he did not feel guilty when he did so, and he did not have to hold back. In his whole life there was always holding back, in food, in love, in education, in fun, the only place where he could just let go was in the battlefield. For Sousuke feeling like he did not have to hold back, was a whole new occurrence. 

**“That is where you are wrong, not everything is complete darkness,”** the dulcet tone of Rin’s voice interrupted Sousuke’s thoughts. **“Although there is not a lot of it, there is some light here…it is the light that makes me want to return,”** in a timid manner Rin reached to hold the hand of Sosuke’s that had fallen to his side after touching his ear. Once he had hold of it, he stood up without letting go of the older man’s hand, this made the latter stand up as well. Pulling gently on the hand that he held, he walked towards the only window in the room, the same window which Sousuke had been looking out from, the first time they met. The moonlight made his crimson eyes glimmer even more, making Sousuke feel entranced as he gazed at the younger man. To Sousuke, the boy who was holding his hand seemed like a mythical being; an alluring nymph which gave his somber heart a small ray of light. Even so, if there was a possibility of there being light in his obscure life, there was a part of him which was doubtful and even fearful. His worn out heart did not dare dream more than it already had, so for right now he decided not to see too much meaning behind the words of the crimson eyed boy. Instead, the gladiator decided that it was much more important to cherish the moment which the Gods presented to him, and which may not take place again. 

**“I’ll take your word for it…do as you wish,”** the raven haired man pulled the other close to him as gently as he could, and he intertwined their fingers together while they held hands. His free hand found itself wandering to Rin’s face, his thumb brushed the latter’s reddened cheek. At that moment he felt a strong urge to kiss Rin on the lips, but he decided against it. **“Just pray to the Gods that you made the correct decision, and that you will not repent of the choice you made, for I am a man, and men become beasts sometimes”**. At this comment, Rin shook his head while giving Sousuke’s hand a strong squeeze. **“I am a man too, and a man never goes back on his word. Therefore I will not repent,”** shyly he placed his free hand on top of Sousuke’s much larger hand. **“Beasts? If you ever become one and do something I don’t want to, then I will send an army of gladiators after you,”** he commented smugly while he playfully stuck out his tongue at Sousuke. The other could do nothing but arch an eyebrow and tilt his head while staring at his companion’s tongue, the urge to bite it was very strong. **“Is that so?”** A soft chuckle escaped from Sousuke’s lips, Rin smiled at this and before he knew it, he was laughing melodiously along with Sousuke. The sole witness to all of this was Artemis, it seemed like she was shinning her mystifying light at the pair as a form of silent blessing. A blessing to the two men who during the day were as opposite as night and day, a slave and a noble, but at that moment it did not seem to matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As done before, the meaning of the chapter title is "what is said is done", which is very self explanatory. Anyways, guess who is back! I am so sorry for going months without updating the fanfic, but I was busy with school, work and the holidays. So it was not because I forgot about it, it was because I honestly had no time to write and update it. So sorry about that! If I ever decide to drop it (which I will not), I will go ahead and post an update here to let you guys know. Hopefully this long absence of mine did not turn you guys off, I honestly hope you will keep reading it. Especially now, that all the good parts are to come in the near future. Like before, I will try to publish at least once a week, unless something comes my way and I can't, if that happens I will let you guys know beforehand.


	9. Spes Bona

_“No siren did ever so charm the ear of the listener_  
_as the listening ear has charmed the soul of the Siren."_  
_-Henry Taylor_

Echoes of sand being crushed under worn out sandals penetrated the walls of the room as the brunette breathed slowly and deeply, pretending to be asleep. The footsteps sounded farther and farther away until they stopped completely, and the room was still. He laid motionless for a while, waiting to see if anyone would come into the room, still acting like he was in deep slumber. Makoto was such a good actor, that if he laid any longer, he could have even fooled Morpheus. Deciding it was enough, he opened one of his olive coloured eyes, what was revealed was an empty room in almost complete darkness. Sousuke was not there, this much was evident by the quietness in the room and the lack of a warm body laying next to his. Peculiar was the only way he could describe the event, for he had never before noticed that Sousuke left at night. Every night Morpheus covered Makoto with his mantle, which allowed him to sleep deeply and soundlessly. This made him wonder, how many times had Sousuke left before? Was this the first time? Rapidly, he sat up and got out of the hard bed, and at the same time, he scanned the small and decrepit room which he shared with Sousuke. Being the best gladiator of the whole school had its perks, Sousuke had earned the title, and Octavius favoured him greatly, which was why Sousuke got his own room. Unlike the rest of the gladiators, he did not have to share a tiny room with many men. Sousuke got his own room, and he decided to share it with Makoto, who was eternally grateful to him. The older man had always been very good to him, kind, patient, and he was even a protector who Makoto thought of as special. After being enslaved, Sousuke was the only one he had, so they had shared many experiences together. All of these were sole reasons why he though he knew Sousuke the best, and that there weren't any secrets between them, but it did not appear to be so. 

After scanning the room, he saw no traces of Sousuke’s tunic or sandals, this meant that he would be gone for a while. If he analyzed the situation carefully, this was beneficial to him, he could sneak out without being seen or questioned; he did not have to lie to Sousuke. However, he wanted to know where Sousuke had gone, where was he? What did he go do? He was not in the gladiator school, or else he would have not taken his tunic and sandals. Thinking about it made his heart ache a little, why did Sousuke keep this a secret? Makoto pursed his lips while straightening the worn tunic he had just put on. _I’m being a hypocrite, why do I feel hurt knowing he is hiding a secret from me while I’m doing the same?_ The young man thought while putting his sandals on. Deciding to ignore all the thoughts that were racing in his head, he headed out as quickly and as silently as he could. Time was limited, and he had to come back before Sousuke returned, which meant he did not have very long. 

All of his movements were careful and agile, until he was far enough from the gladiator school. Once he found himself surrounded by nature and saw the moon clearly guiding his path, he started running. His memory was very good, therefore he remembered where the lake was exactly. He felt the wind against his skin and heard the sound his sandals made as he ran, while he mumbled a small prayer to the Gods. Makoto really hoped that the sapphire eyed “mermaid” would meet him at the accorded place, and that the previous encounter with him had not been a hallucination. Several times he had though about it, maybe he had hit his heard too hard and imagined the beautiful creature before him. Tonight was the decisive night where it would be proven if what he had seen was a product of his damaged imagination. 

Once the lake appeared into view, he slowed down his pace and he started walking toward it. There seemed to be no sign of Haruka, making him instantly think that maybe he indeed had imagined it all. Makoto let out a sigh and as he was about to turn and leave, he saw the young man’s figure coming out of the water. In a graceful manner he sat down on top of a large rock, his body glistened. The light of the moon made the small droplets of water left on his body shine, if he hadn’t known better, he would have thought they were his scales. Haruka’s delicate fingers brushed his hair from away from his eyes before he noticed that Makoto was there peering at him. 

**“Makoto,”** in his soft and mellow voice, Haruka called the other as he signaled from him to come closer with his hand. **“Haru, you’re here!”** Without really thinking about it, Makoto blurted out the nickname he had come up with for Haruka and he approached him rapidly until he was standing before the ethereal beauty. **“Haru?”** His sapphire eyes studied Makoto carefully, looking at his tunic he knew right away that Makoto belonged to the lower class of the spectrum. Not that he minded, what he did mind a bit was that he was not shirtless like the first time they had met. **“I’m sorry!”** Right away Makoto became flustered, he put his hands in front of him as he stared apologetically at Haru. This amused the latter, the olive eyed man had so many expressions and reactions, unlike him. **“It’s okay, I don’t mind,”** he mumbled as he placed both of his palms against Makoto’s. This made Makoto feel more flustered than before, now it was definitely evident that Haru had no sense of personal space, but it was not like he minded. **“…Your hands are larger and rougher than mine,”** Haru declared suddenly. **“That is because I work with my hands…you’re still wet,”** Makoto looked around him for something to cover Haruka, he avoided to look at the other’s legs though, because like before, he had been swimming nude. The larger male pulled his hands away when he spotted a piece of brown cloth laying next to Haru’s feet, his clothes were also there. The other felt disappointed when their hands separated, but his face was expressionless, his eyes carefully observed Makoto’s movements. 

**“Let’s dry you with this, or you will get sick,”** in a tender manner Makoto wiped Haru’s face. No one except for the people at home had done this for him before, and it made him feel a strange warmth deep inside. This was apparent when his cheeks tinted in a faint roseate, Makoto noticed and he gave him a kind smile. **“I won’t get sick, but if it makes you feel better then I will get properly dressed,”** Makoto handed him the tunic he had found on the floor and gave him a hand as the other hopped off the rock. In an instant he put on the tunic, a tunic that even with a few specks of sand on it, was better than Makoto’s. The cloth was of a better and more expensive kind than Makoto’s, this meant right off the bat that he was not a slave. However wearing a tunic did indicate that he was from a lower class. **“I thought you weren’t coming…”** Haru did not look at Makoto, he dusted the little specks off sand of his tunic. **“I wouldn’t have missed it. I’m sorry, did you wait long? It’s just that I’m not free to come and go as I please”**. The taller male looked at the other’s reflection in the water, he dared not look at him directly, because he had given his status away by uttering those words. Not seeing his reaction directly was somewhat comforting, for he did not know what to expect. **“That’s okay, I did not wait long, and the water was keeping me company, we were both waiting,”** there was no look of disgust or discomfort in Haru’s face as he looked back at Makoto’s reflection. **“Is it okay that you’re here right now?”** Right away Haru knew that Makoto was either a slave or the son of someone who had sold him to pay a loan. **“Mhmm,”** Makoto nodded and looked at Haru with an assuring smile. **“It should be okay,”** he was half lying, for he knew he could either get punished by Octavius or upset Sousuke if he was found out. **“But tell me, you say that the water waited with you…Are you used to being in the water? To be honest you sounded just like a mermaid,”** Makoto couldn’t help but chuckle. **“There you go with the mermaid thing again,”** obviously embarrassed but refusing to show it, Haru went and sat next to the rock. He reclined his back against it and Makoto followed him shortly, sitting right next to him. The view of the lake was beautiful, the moon was reflected perfectly on it, as were the stars. **“But yes it did, the water and I understand each other, I have always been surrounded by water. After all, I am a fisherman, so being in the water became like second nature to me”**. All the puzzle pieces came together once Makoto heard that, no wonder he looked like a Mermaid in the water, he looked so natural like he was where he belonged. **“Do you enjoy it?”** Haru nodded once in answer to Makoto’s question. **“That’s nice, to do what you like, I’m very glad for you,”** Makoto said wholeheartedly. Hearing this made Haru’s feel bad for talking without thinking, he looked at Makoto with his blank expression but his eyes told Makoto everything. Unlike reading Socrates or Plato like he had done back when he was a student in Athens, reading Haru’s eyes seemed easier and more pleasant. **“It’s okay, don’t worry. By now, I assume that you have come to your own conclusions about me and you might not be wrong,”** saying the truth about himself to a stranger could be fatal. If he confided in the wrong person, then there would be consequences, but Haru’s lovely eyes told him he could be trusted. **“I am a slave,”** any traces of the smile that he wore before had faded, his eyes looked away from Haru and focused on the lake. **“Were you sold by your family?”** After a long moment of silence, Haru had mustered all his courage to ask in a very low voice. **“No, I was brought to Rome after being enslaved, and I was sold to a man who made me a gladiator,”** at the mention of this Haru’s sapphire eyed widened. Makoto turned to look at him feeling surprised, because he had not expected any reaction from Haru. **“I know it sounds bad,”** the gladiator scratched the back of his head awkwardly. **“I mean, it is bad especially compared to my life before, but there is also some good in the bad. This allowed me to meet people I wouldn’t have met otherwise…it allowed me to meet you”**. Makoto’s lips formed an embarrassed smile that reached all the way to his eyes, causing them to close. Haru felt enchanted and stared at Makoto in awe, yet, he could not find a way to comfort Makoto. Instead, he pressed his arm and leg against Makoto in an effort to comfort him. Although the smaller man’s touch felt cold, he could not help but open his eyes and smile wider. **“It’s good you came tonight,”** in an almost audible whisper Haru told Makoto. **“I’m glad I came, thank you for meeting me tonight”**. Time was running out, Makoto knew it, even if he wished to stay longer he could not. Makoto closed his eyes and breathed the fresh air of the lake, Haru stared at him in an effort to remember the image clearly, later when he wanted to recall the handsome man’s image. After opening his eyes, he stood up, **“Sorry Haru, but I have to go. Are you staying or leaving?”** He bend down a little and offered his hand to Haru so he could get up. Haru studied him and took the hand being offered to him into his, holding it tightly even after standing up. 

**“Even after I told you about myself…will you meet with me again?”** The gladiator asked in a hesitant manner, hoping for the best. **“I will, I don’t see a reason not to. After all, I want to swim with you in the lake,”** Haru pointed at the lake and looked at Makoto with a determined expression. This made Makoto laugh softly, **“Will you meet me here in a week? I’ll come and see you..and the water.”** Haru held Makoto’s hand even tighter, surprising Makoto with the force that he had. **“Come see me here in a week…just me,”** a strange twinge of jealousy invaded Haru when Makoto mentioned he wanted to see the water. Obviously to him it was not acceptable, he wanted for Makoto to only come and see only him. **“Alright, I’ll come and just see you,”** the taller man smiled reassuringly at the adorable enchantress before him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spes Bona = Good Hope. Just wanted to point out that this is taking place the same night as the previous chapter with Sousuke and Rin, which is why Sousuke was not home. Also, I know nudity was not such a big deal in ancient Greece and Rome, but in order to stay a bit more true to the characters, I made Makoto react the way he does. Like mentioned on the first chapter, not everything is 100% accurate, I had to bend certain things so that they can fit the story.


End file.
